You can find more information regarding this film on its IMDb page.


This movie is part of the collection: Feature Films

Director: H.C. Potter
Producer: Boris Morros
Production Company: Astor Pictures Corporation
Audio/Visual: sound, b&w

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: Dark Moon - - May 2, 2011
Subject: The snoozer is the loser

What 1110babe said. Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith play two scammers who try to out-hustle each other for the affections of a woman (Paulette Goddard) who is smarter and slicker than the both of them put together. Finally, they so sabotage each other during an audition for Artie Shaw's orchestra that they both wind up getting tossed out on their ears. Never saying "die," though, they both attempt to patch things up and worm their way back into her affections (not to mention back into Artie's orchestra). One of them plays second fiddle and gets something extra in his drink, while the other takes the brass ring—and, incidentally, the girl.

Watching these two goobers engage each other in their "friendly" little competition is funny at first, but it gets old very quickly. Before the end, I feel as though I'm watching two rams in rut, locking horns and banging heads over both the female and the territory. So much for civilization. A star for the plot, plus two extra ones for the music and dance.

Reviewer: kazim ergin - - September 9, 2010
Subject: Very good sound, better than when I first saw it.
But, both actors do not even mime properly to play their instruments. On the soundtrack, Bobby Hacket played for Fred, and Billy Butterfield for Burgess. Thank you for this wonderful copy.

Reviewer: Ann Smithy - - July 12, 2010
Subject: Another good one
This Fred Estair movie is quite cheerful. It lifts my spirit to here big band music. And great tap dancing, and just excellent dancing. Every scene is loaded with terrific things to please the eye. It another good one. Thanks for playing it.

Reviewer: 1110babe - - July 11, 2010
Subject: good music and dancing but
The bickering and the battling between Astaire and Meredith got really old after thirty or forty years, uh, minutes. There are many, many movies with this plot that did it better, including by Astaire. It's one note and it's boring.

Reviewer: jcliff - - February 13, 2009
Subject: ya got to love astaire
this is a good movie.,but it isn't his best. I give it 4 stars.

Reviewer: g rated - - April 14, 2008
Subject: another G5 classic
Fred Astaire with Artie Shaw - not to be missed

Reviewer: Fireball Steve Zodiac - - April 15, 2007
Subject: Fred Astaire, Paullette Goddard, Burgess Meredith*****
And Artie Shaw and his swing band. I haven't even finished watching it but love it right now in the first scene. Fred tries to make it look real that he's playing the trumpet, but it seems apparent to me that he isn't, and Burgess Meredith is also in the same band off stage left also making like he's playing trumpet, both deliberatly so for the sake of the film, not as flim flammers, and both hit on a cute girl that comes in, Ms Goddard, and in trying to chisel her off the arm of the dude she came in with, she lets Fred think he's putting the make on her, and he says quizzically as she requsts a number that he hasn't got "the number" so she slips him a slip of paper under the table, and back to the stage goes Fred. When he turns to face his audience, he opens the piece of paper and finds its a summons, issued for non-payment on a 7 year old set of encyclopedias. Great quality piece of B&W film. The story so far is fun, slick talking fresh-out-of-college musicians with a cocky air and mouths to match.

The streaming video on the IA page is good even grey tones from black to white, distinct, easy to view. And WOW THE BIG BAND ERA SWING MUSIC BY ARTIE SHAW ROCKS, DYNAMITE. Sorry for shouting. I'm having a blast watching it, I hope you do too. Its loaded with boogie woogie swing. If my girl was here I'd hoof it with her and cut a rug.